Where Talent Comes to Soar
“If you are looking to study or work in Hong Kong, don’t just do it for a living. In fact, Hong Kong offers an abundance of opportunities in a wide variety of sectors, so my advice is that you should follow your heart. Find a career that you’re really interested in and passionate about.”
An impressive educational system invites foreign talents to study for their dreams in Hong Kong, while its great work environment encourages them to put down roots.
Jane Gao is the Head, Operations of Aerosim (HK) Ltd., a startup in aviation technology specialising in simulated aviation training and education. Having begun as a multimedia specialist there, Gao rose through the ranks to oversee the company’s management and operations, in addition to product development.
Growing up in Mainland China, Gao developed an affection for and familiarity with Hong Kong through its movies and TV shows. So, when she later pursued a master’s degree from Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HKPU) and began her dream career with Aerosim, she already felt connected to this city, feeling like it was her second home.
The Education to Inspire Talent
Gao originally studied banking and finance at a university in Australia. Upon graduation, she realised this wasn’t the field for her. She wanted to study and work in something she was really interested in. It was then that she heard about the 1-year master’s degree programme at HKPU, which solidified her foundation in multimedia and ultimately allowed her to find what she calls a “fabulous job.”
She speaks glowingly of her experience in Hong Kong’s education system, which she believes is conducive to cultivating talent: “Teachers and professors not only want to educate you with textbook theories, but also encourage you to go out of the campus and experience for yourself, so as to learn professional skills and knowledge.”
Once she was ready to start her career, Hong Kong’s reputation as an international financial hub opened the doors to plentiful trade and business opportunities from around the world. Domestically, Hong Kong’s position within the Greater Bay Area, with proximity to China’s major southern cities, makes it convenient to work with partners on the mainland. She says at Aerosim, this has led to a multitude of collaborative projects with many mainland counterparts.
The Right Environment to Kickstart Careers
In terms of a place to work and live, Gao thinks Hong Kong’s fast pace and its very hardworking citizens motivate everyone to keep going farther. As she puts it, “It’s an environment that encourages all to move forward, so you go and make progress together and can’t afford to slow down.” This is particularly conducive for a startup like her company.
That faster pace is why she picked Hong Kong over Canberra, where she studied in Australia, as the place to begin her career. She also appreciates Hong Kong’s diverse cultures and communities, each with its own distinctive characteristics. Taken together with its comprehensive transport network, international culinary scene and robust entertainment options, she believes Hong Kong is a great place to live.
Once she made her choice, settling in was greatly helped by support from two funding schemes, the Research Talent Hub for ITF Projects (RTH-ITF) and Accommodation Support Scheme. She credits them with relieving the pressure and worry of establishing herself in Hong Kong, enabling her to concentrate on developing her career here. To anyone else thinking about studying or working in Hong Kong, she encourages them to do it for more than just a living. Says Gao, “Follow your heart.”
Fast facts:
- Having begun as a multimedia specialist three years ago, Jane Gao is now the Head, Operations of Aerosim (HK) Ltd, a startup with a focus on simulated aviation training and education.
- With a strong interest in multimedia, she enrolled in a master’s degree programme offered by Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and embarked on a career in this field after graduation.